Iga Swiatek has confirmed that she will end her 2026 WTA season early in order to rest and recover her body fully.

Swiatek withdrew from the Ningbo Open in the final act of her current campaign, citing a left thigh injury. The decision followed her semifinal defeat to fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska at the Wuhan Open, with her WTA rival going on to beat Sonay Kartal in the final.

Former world number one Swiatek missed out on the chance of WTA Finals qualification with her decision to withdraw from Ningbo, which she had committed to for the first time in her career. But she has now decided to end her season entirely, issuing a statement confirming the reason behind the significant move.

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Iga Swiatek confirms the end of her 2026 season

Posting an update on social media, Swiatek wrote on Instagram: “This has been one of the most demanding seasons of my career, with a lot of challenges, changes and lessons along the way. I’m especially proud of the work we’ve done in the second half of the year and the progress that came with it. It gives me a lot of confidence in what’s ahead.

“The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense and I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully. So that’s exactly what I will do, a bit longer this time. I’ve decided to end my season here, which means I won’t be playing any more tournaments this year.

“I’m feeling grateful for everything this year has taught me and very much loving what I do. As always, I’ll come back with passion and motivation to keep improving. Thank you for being with me and see you soon.”

It’s a big call from Swiatek, but it looks set to be the right one given her current physical and mental state. The 25-year-old will finish 2026 with a 39/15 win/loss record, with her only title having arrived in Toronto. At Grand Slam level, the world number nine reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the fourth round of both the French Open and the US Open, and the third round of Wimbledon.

She certainly isn’t the only player to close the curtain on her 2026 campaign. Amanda Anisimova has ended her season already, as has ATP number one Jannik Sinner. And they have since been joined by the likes of Joao Fonseca and Eva Lys, with many players clearly prioritising a strong start to 2027 over the end of 2026.